Corner lock for bedsteads



March 27, 1934 H, RICHARDSON 1,952,095

CORNER LOCK FOR BEDSTEADS Filed Dec. 14. 1932 a I 2 I E l P h? 5/19 In 3 131. n 5

Int/era???- Richardson.

Henr

By M, W, Jim y?kafizlsi Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNETEE STAT-Ed earner orrics 1,952,095 LOCK FUR EEDSTEADS Henry Richardson, Chicago, Ill, Application December 14, 1932, Serial No. 647,077

3 Qlaims.

This invention is a modification of the bed cor-- ner fastening disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 477,536, filed August 25, 1930, wherein a portion of the vertical limb of an angle iron side rail is offset into a slot in a bracket side flange, an end edge of said vertical limb being wedged against a bracket post flange solely by the coasting of an edge of said offset portion against an inclined edge of the slot.

In the present construction a portion of said vertical limb is offset into a tapered slot in said side flange, opposite edges of said offset portion which are substantially perpendicular or square to the outer surface of said limb coacting against both of the downwardly disposed edges of the slot to wedge said vertical limb to a bracket side flange, instead of against the post flange as in said pending application, the said coasting edges of the present construction alone holding the side rail and bracket side flange against relative movement lengthwise of a bedstead.

In the now commonly used type. of bed corner fastening wherein the vertical limb of an angle iron side rail requires to be provided with an outwardly projecting. locking member, it is at present,

has been for many years, the universal practice to attach to said vertical limb either a stud or an angular plate secured thereto by a plurality of pins.

A bed corner joint of this type is now ingeneral use, in which a stud on the outer side of said verti al, limb has a round shank'and a head coacting respectively against an edge of a tapered slot in a bracket side flange and the outer surface of the latter, the said coactng parts, although many years old, being still the simplest of all known means by which a practical corner joint be provided between an angle iron side rail and a bracket on a bed end.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a very smple and improved bed corner lock. embodying the same broad principle as the corner lock of my aforesaid application, but wherein the side rail, instead of being wedged at its end against thepost flange of the bracket, is wedged against the bracket s de flange. Another object is to provide, in a bed corner lock of the type described, improved means for securely looking the side rail of the bed frame against lateral displacement from the side flange of the bracket.

Still other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an outer side elevation of a fragment of a bed post, a corner bracket, and an angle side rail equipped with my improved look as viewed from the left of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, in section through the side rail on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 isa top plan view, in horizontal section through the corner post.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing the side rail in endwise reversed and inverted position wherein it is adapted to support bed springs or slats.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the bracket.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an angle bar side rail, broken out between its ends.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates the corner post of the bedstead frame, in this instance shown as a tubular structure formed with an indented flattened surface for application of the post flange of the bracket thereto as shown in my pending applications Serial No. 518,329 filed February 26, 1931, and Serial No. 638,681 filed October 20, 1932, although a square or other form of post may be used with my improved corner lock, the configuration of the post being immaterial. The corner bracket, shown in detail in Fig. 5, comprises a post flange 11 adapted to fit against a flat side of the corner post, and an integral side flange 12, projecting at a right angle to the post flange from one vertical edge of the latter. In the side flange 12 is formed an upwardly opening slot formed preferably with a substantially vertical inner edge 13 and a downwardly and inwardly inclined edge 14. It may here be explained that by the expression inwardly inclined I mean inclined in a direction toward the post flange 11 of the bracket. Preferably, and as herein shown, the outer portion of the side flange 12 of the bracket, on which the inclined edge 14. of the slot is formed, terminates somewhat below the top end of the bracket to facilitate the engagement of the side rail of the bed frame in inverted position with the bracket.

The side rail of the bed frame or spring frame is an angle bar as shown, the vertical limb of said bar being identified by '15, and the horizontal limb by 16. A portion 17 of the vertical limb 15 isoutwardly offset therefrom and projected into the slot in the side flange 12. This oifset portion 17 is preferably designed so that a lower inclined rear edge 18 thereof wedgingly engages with the downwardly and inwardly inclined edge 14 of the bracket slot, and a vertical front edge 19 thereof similarly engages with the vertical edge 13 of the bracket slot. In order to render the lock structure available for reversing and inverting the side rail (as shown in Fig. 4) the offset portion 17 is also provided with an upper inclined rear edge 18' oppositely inclined relatively to the edge 18. The inclination from the vertical of the wedging edges 18 and 18 is substantially the same as the inclination of the edge 14 of. the slot. A single arcuated edge may be usedin place of the rectilinear edges of 18 and 18' shown herein, but it is an advantage of the Offset portion 1'7 that the two rectilinear edges cost no more to: make than a single arcuated edge and are more efiicient.

By reference to Figs. 1 and 3 it will be observed that the length of the end portion of the side rail beyond the oiiset portion 17 is such that, when the latter is fully engaged with the slot, there is a slight clearance between the end edge of the side rail and the post flange of the bracket. This clearance is preferred because, to bring said end edge and post. flange into contact with one another without interfering with the wedging of the offset portion 17 against. both. edges 13 and 14 of the bracket slot, would require an exactness in the length of the portion of the rail beyond the offset portion 17 which would be an insuperable objection from a manufacturing standpoint- In my aforesaid application Serial No. 477,536 I have disclosed, as a means for locking" the-vertical limb or the side rail against. inward lateral displacement from the side flange of the bracket, an inwardly pressed lug, such as 20 (Figs. 2 and 5) on the post flange of thebracket spaced. from the side flange by the thickness of the vertical limb of the side rail. In my present device, I preferably employ, to cooperate with the said lug: 20, an auxiliary locking device comprising a tongue 21 consisting of an offset portion of the vertical. limb of the side rail sufficiently in rear of the offset portion 17 to overlap the outer edge of the bracket side flange 12, as best shown. in Figs. 1 and 2. This locking tongue 21 is preferably formed substantially mid-height of the side rail so that it will function: with equal effect. in; both. the upright and inverted positions of the latter..

The end of the side rail engaged with. the bracket in either the upright or inverted position by simply entering it above. the latter and then lowering it. When therail is entered in its upright position (shown in Figs. 1,. 2 and 3), the rear inclined edge 18 of the offset portion 17, slidingl-y engages with the inclined edge M of. the siot, thereby forcing the vertical edge 19 of offset portion hard against the vertical edge 13 of the slot. When the rail is: entered in its inverted position (shownin Fig. 4') the inclined edge 13" of the oiiset portion 17 similarly slidingly engages with the inclined edge" 14 of the slot,.forcing the vertical edge 19 of the offset member 17. against the vertical edge 13- of the slot. During these engaging movements of the side rail with the bracket, the end of the vertical: limb of the side rail enters between the lug 20v and the side flange of the bracket, and, at the same time, the oflset tongue 21 slides down over and embraces the outer edge portion of the side flange of the bracket. 7

The post flange of the bracket is suitably apertured to receive upper and lower rivets 22 and 23, by which it is secured to the corner post 10, and the lower rivet 23 may also extend through an end rail 24, by which the two corner posts at each end of the bed are rigidly connected and spaced.

I claim:

1. A bedstead corner fastening comprising a movable portion consisting solely of an angle iron side rail and a. bracket portion comprising a post flange adapted for attachment to a bed post and a side flange at the outer side of the post flange and at right angles thereto, the side flange having an upwardly opening tapered slot therein, said rail having its vertical limb adjacent the inner side of the side flange and having a portion of said vertical limb offset into the slot, the offset portion having edges which are substantially perpendicular or square to the outer surface of said limb, said edges coacting against both edges of the slot to wedge: said side rail and side flange to one another, the said coacting edges alone holding the side rail and side flange against relative movement lengthwise of the bedstead.

2. A. bedstead corner fastening comprising a movable portion consisting solely of an angle iron side: rail and a bracket portion comprising a post flange adaptedfor attachment to a bed post and a side flange at the outer side of the. post flange and at right angles thereto, the side flange having an upwardly opening tapered slot therein, said rail having its vertical limb adjacent the inner side of the side flange and havinga portion of said vertical. limb offset into the slot, one side of said offset portion having an edge substantially perpendicular or square to the outer surface of said vertical limb coacting against one edge of the slot, the opposite side of said portion having an inclined edge thereof. substantially perpendicular or square to the outer surface of said vertical limb coacting against the other: and similarly inclinededge of the slot, the said coacting edges we'dging: the said rail and side flange to one another and alone holding the last-named parts against relative movement lengthwise of the bedstead.

3. A bedstead corner fastening comprising a movable portion consisting solely of angle bar side rail and a. bracket portion comprising a post flange adapted forattachment to a bed post and a side flange at the outer side of" the post flange and at right angles thereto, the side flange having an upwardly opening tapered slot therein, said rail having its vertical limb adjacent the inner side of the side flange and having a portion of said vertical limb oifset into the slot, the offset portion having edges which are substantially perpendicular or square to the outer surface of said limb, said edges coacting againstv both edges of the slot to wedge the side flange and side rail to one another in the upright position of the side rail, and similarly coacting against both edges of the slot in the side flange at the opposite end of the bedstead when the side rail is inverted and turned end for end, said coacting parts alone holding the side rail and side flange against relative movement lengthwise of the bedstead in both the upright and inverted positions of the side rail.

HENRY RICHARDSON. 

